Fansided

Ranking each piece of Atlanta Braves young core after Harris extension

By Jake Oliver

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 04: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves looks on before a game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 04, 2022 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Braves 6-4. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 04: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves looks on before a game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 04, 2022 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Braves 6-4. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves
ATLANTA, GA – AUGUST 15: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves makes a leaping catch near the wall on a ball off the bat of Daniel Vogelbach of the New York Mets in the seventh inning at Truist Park on August 15, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

4. Michael Harris II, Centerfielder

The reasoning behind Michael Harris II being the fourth core piece is because of his lack of experience and that Matt Olson is replacing a legend in the Braves’ history. Harris plays great defensive centerfield for Atlanta which raises his value a ton. He’s only 21 and won’t reach free agency until he’s 30 or so. That’s going to bring extreme value to the Braves. However, the flip side is that he signed a long-term deal, not even a year into his MLB career.

The former No.1 Atlanta Braves prospect could see his play turn downwards next season or in a year. He hasn’t got a long-term reliable history yet. You can’t mistake how dominant Harris has been since being called up in May. The likely NL Rookie of the Year winner, unless Spencer Strider, a teammate, wins it, has hit .288/.327/.498 with a 124 OPS+. He has played in 72 games with 14 doubles, 2 triples, 12 home runs, 39 RBI, 14 stolen bases (zero caught stealing), and 11 walks to 65 strikeouts. So far, he’s been worth 2.9 WAR.

Michael Harris II has the ability to be an All-Star player in the years to come while manning centerfield for the perennial playoff contenders, the Braves.  He’s fast, has high contact ability, and has sneaky power. Harris isn’t even close to his potential as he can still grow due to only being 21. It’s safe to say that he has the potential to have a 30/30/30 season one day.

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